Bulgaria's GERB Party Becomes Extinct without Borisov - Poll

Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, is the only popular GERB politician and second by ratings after the President. Photo by BGNES

Nearly sixty five percent of Bulgarians who support the ruling GERB party would give up on it if its leader and Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, was to withdraw.

The poll has been conducted by the Institute for Modern Policy, showing, as Standard daily writes, that the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, equals Boyko Borisov.

According to the same study, if former PM, leader of the Party of European Socialists, PES, and of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, Sergey Stanishev, was to leave the formation, 85% would still vote for the Socialists.

If the general election was to be held today, GERB would collect 25% of the vote, BSP – 19%, the ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, - 5.5%, the Bulgaria for Citizens party of former European Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva – 4.8%, the far-right, nationalist Ataka – 2.7%, the coalition between the marginal conservative Order, Law and Justice party, RZS and Varna pharmaceutical mogul, Veselin Mareshki, known as RZS with Mareshki – 2.7% as well.

1.7% would cast a ballot for the right-wing Union of Democratic Forces, UDF; 1.5% - for the right-wing Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, DSB, and 1% for the party of former Tsar and PM, Simeon Saxe-Coburg, National Movement for Stability and Prosperity, NMSP, which is not parliamentary represented now.

Parties and coalitions need to have at least 4% in order to win Parliamentary seats.

Voter turnout would be also very important.

22% of the respondents have said they would vote to "punish politicians," who failed to fulfill their promises.

In individual ratings, the lead belongs to President, Rosen Plevneliev (down to 48%, compared to the previous 52%); followed by Borisov (39%), and Stanishev (24%).